Anita Lo
Anita Lo | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1965 Birmingham, Michigan, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Chef, entrepreneur |
| Known for | Owner of Annisa; first female guest chef to prepare a White House State dinner menu |
Anita Lo (born 1965) is a prominent American chef and entrepreneur in the restaurant industry. In 2001, Food & Wine magazine recognized her as one of the nation's ten "Best New Chefs."
Early life
Raised in Birmingham, Michigan, Anita Lo is a second-generation Malaysian American. She completed her education at Concord Academy and earned a French literature degree from Columbia University. During her studies at L’Ecole Ritz-Escoffier culinary institute, she gained experience interning under esteemed French chefs Guy Savoy and Michel Rostang. Lo is openly lesbian.
Career
Following her culinary training in Paris, Lo gained professional experience at several New York City establishments such as Chanterelle, Can (specializing in French-Vietnamese cuisine), Maxim's, and Mirezi. Her work attracted praise from critics including Ruth Reichl of The New York Times.
In 2000, Lo partnered with Jennifer Scism to launch Annisa in Greenwich Village. The restaurant received a two-star rating from The New York Times, earned a Michelin star in 2006, and garnered accolades from both Food & Wine and The Village Voice. In 2005, she co-established Rickshaw, a dumpling bar with various locations across NYC; she departed in 2010 to concentrate on Annisa and other projects.
Lo introduced Bar Q in 2008, an Asian-fusion barbecue concept. Although it was well-reviewed for its cuisine, it closed after ten months due to mixed customer feedback. On July 4, 2009, Annisa was severely damaged by fire but reopened at the same site by April 2010, maintaining its two-star status. Scism exited the business in 2010, making Lo the sole proprietor. The Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation honored Annisa with a Village Award in 2011. By 2014, The New York Times elevated the restaurant to a three-star rating.
In 2015, Lo made history as the first female guest chef to prepare a White House State dinner menu, crafting a four-course meal for Chinese President Xi Jinping and his spouse Peng Liyuan. After operating for 17 years, she closed Annisa in May 2017 due to financial pressures from increased real estate taxes and rising minimum wage costs.
Television appearances
- 2005: Participated in the inaugural season of Iron Chef America, triumphing over Iron Chef Mario Batali in Battle Mushrooms with a final score of 54-45. She was the first challenger to claim victory on the series and remained the only female challenger to do so until Traci Des Jardins won in Season 2.
- 2009: Secured fourth place on the debut season of Top Chef Masters, earning $20,000 for her selected charity, SHARE.
- 2011: Competed in Chopped: All-Stars Tournament, where she was eliminated by Nate Appleman.
- 2018: Appeared in Maya Gallus's documentary The Heat: A Kitchen (R)evolution, which spotlights women chefs navigating a predominantly male culinary field.
Works
- Solo: A Modern Cookbook for a Party of One, Knopf, 2018